Edmonton scales back annexation plans for Leduc County land

The City of Edmonton is scaling back its ambitious plans for annexation of lands south of the city in an agreement with Leduc County.

But Mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday that this will still provide Edmonton with 30 to 50 years' worth of growth.

The agreement means the city willwithdrawlands from its annexation plans situated west of the Edmonton International Airport and south of Highway 19.

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"The city has reduced its ask quite considerably,"Iveson said.

"Thehigher density targets in the new regional growth plan mean that this region canaccommodatemore people with less land."

Ivesonalso said the high quality of agricultural land, particularly west of the airport, was another factor in thecity's decision to reduce its request.

Under the agreement, the county will keep the northNiskuindustrial area and, unless mutually agreed upon, the city`s boundary will not shiftfurther south untiljointplanning for the area is completed.

Leduc County Mayor John Whaley said, without Nisku, the county would not be economically sustainable.

He praised Iveson and city council for sitting down at the negotiating table for the past four years.

"It's a negotiation but it's also an education so we both understand each other's needs and wants," hesaid.

The annexationof theairport will be determined over the next severalmonths through a collaboration between the city, county and airport.

"We're maintaining an open mind about whether we ultimately leave the airport in our application or take it out," said Iveson.

"That's a process over the next six months. Part of it will involve some conceptual planning for what kind of growth might happen on the airport and around it."

The annexation battle between the city and countygoes back four years.

In 2012, the two bodiesbegan a year-long collaborative process, butbefore the year was over, the city submitted anannexation proposalto the province extending its southern boundary by 38,750 acres of county land.

The annexation includedthe airportlands and a portion of the NiskuIndustrial Business Park.

In 2015, the city added to its proposal four additional quarter sections of landdirectly north of the Town of Beaumont.

Last week, Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee issued anorder allowingBeaumont to annex land from Leduc County, land that was part of Edmonton`s annexation plans.

Iveson said the city isn'tgiving up on annexing that land.

"Our intention is to maintain the nine quarter sections in our application", he said.

"That will involve a continuing discussion with Beaumont that we would, quite frankly, have rather done collaboratively ahead of time.

"This will provoke and invite, ultimately, an opportunity for discussion between the county, the city and the town of Beaumont that should have happened before but must happen now."